I had such a good time this Fall it’s
difficult to know where to begin. 
Perha
ps I should begin by
mentioning the GREAT HAIRCUT I got in Sicily (even though it
was at the end of the tours. Renewed my faith in Italian
hairdressers – only problem is the airline ticket adds
measurably to the cost of the
haircut which precludes my
getting a Sicilian haircut with any regularity. I thought
it was pretty brave of me to try again after my disaster in
the spring, but the need for a cut overcame my hesitancy.
One of the hazards of having short hair and traveling for
protracted periods of time!
From the beginning
Cinque Terre/Riviera
trip to the end in Sicily,
I was once again blessed with fabulous clients. I have
concluded that my website has good karma which results in my
getting people who are interesting, adventuresome, good
natured, TONS of fun, and just plain good company to travel
with. Whatever the cause, I just hope it continues.
Provence – the Preview
Chef Philippe and I tromped all over
Provence in our walkthrough for the new tour. Stayed in all
of the Inns where we’ll be, ate in the restaurants, shopped
the markets, looked at beautiful scenery, visited museums,
bakeries, patisseries, wineries, many small villages on our
itinerary, ate cheeses, sausages, fish, vegetables, drank
wine – had a great time.
Our charming Inn has lovely, large rooms
(very unusual) with breathtaking views overlooking the
rolling countryside. I suspect you won’t want to leave.
And the kitc
hen where we will have classes is a first-class
professional kitchen – very hard to come by.
One of my favorite visits was to the
hospital where Van Gogh was a patient for 1 year. Standing
in his room, looking out over the fields within his view was
terribly moving. Everywhere you looked on the grounds you
could see one of his paintings; it’s a surreal experience.
Chef Philipp
e and his wife, Marie-Pierre
are the perfect hosts – charming, accommodating and
passionate about sharing this beautiful area with us.
Philippe introduced me to a fabulous dish that I had never
had before – it’s called aioli. I know you all think you
know what it is, but I’d bet you’re wrong. Philippe asked if
I wanted to “share an aoli” - I couldn’t imagine how we
could make a meal out of just a cup of aioli sauce. Well, I
was in for a surprise. It’s a full dish of poached fish and
vegetables served with the most delicious aioli I’ve ever
had. You take a bite of fish or vegetable, dip it in the
sauce and chow down! Of course, washed down with a lovely
French table wine. Absolutely delicious and guaranteed to
keep the vampires away! (Philippe & Aioli, photo left)
As you can tell, I’m excited and enthused
about this new trip and eager to share it with others.
Cinque Terre/Riviera
Sept. 24-Oct. 2
I must
confess I was a bit worried about
this one – 2 people had last minute family illnesses forcing
them to re-schedule, leaving only a very small group of two
people. Good fortune smiled on me again, because
Brad and Kathy were ideal. The three of us trooped
all over the area and had a marvelous time. (Kathy &
Brad in Cinque Terre, photo left)
The week was especially remarkable because
we had a brand new venue to discover and it turned out to be
one of the best experiences of the week. This was a 15 year
old vineyard near Monterosso, run by a fascinating couple.
They are producing some wonderful red wines (u
nheard of in
this area), limoncino, honey, and one of the best
sciacchetras ever! It was so
fabulous I schlepped a
bottle around Italy for the next 5 weeks! Kurt, the owner,
is a man with an enormous passion and devotion for the task
at hand. He spent the better part of 3 hours walking us
around the farm, patiently explaining everything to us, after which we sat down to a simple, but lovely lunch, in
the fields with the newly arrived wine maker, Kurt, some
field workers, and a neighbor who just happened by. We
basked in the sunshine, ate delightful food, had really good
wines, fabulous cheese, and finished off with golden sciacchetra. It was almost sensory overload. (sciacchetra
is Liguria's unique dessert wine)
Cooking classes
with Chef Fausto were
their usual good fun, producing great food. (Brad and
Fausto, photo left) This was an
especially busy week for him because there was a convention
of world cartoonists in the area, and of course, he had many
special dinners as well as many visitors from all over the
world. Guido did his usual thorough job with our Italian
Products Seminar – and, of course, introduced us to his year
old son. Must be catching, because our lovely guide, Loredana, is expecting her first child in the spring. I
look forward to meeting the new Ligurian in spring. Seeing
these things change with my Italian friends is one of the
joys of revisiting.
Visiting Portofino with Brad and Kathy was
especially fun because they’
re boaters and had a greater
than average interest in some of the yachts and megayachts
moored there, but resisted the temptation to purchase! Had
a great waterfront lunch after which they found a treasure
that will always remind them of their trip there (no, they
didn’t buy a new yacht). The villages of the Cinque Terre
were as charming as ever; we had great views both walking
and from the boat.
Watching the fisherman at Santa Margherita,
followed by our fish banquet was just great. On another
night we went back to a little trattoria in SML for an
absolutely outstanding dinner. Can’t say we had a bad meal
all week – thank goodness. In fact, we all agreed we had
been quite fortunate in that all of our dinners were so
satisfactory. And, to top it off,
we had GREAT weather.
At the end of our tour, Kathy and Brad
were fortunate to be spending another week in the area and I
headed down to Montepulciano for a week at language school.
Oh - and did I happen to mention that they were celebrating
their anniversary with this trip? (Photo, left) What a
GOOD idea!
AMALFI COAST – Cooking in Paradise
Oct. 9-16
Another f
abulous visit to Ravello,
Positano, Pompeii, Amalfi and Capri with 9 women and 1 man (who
loved every minute of it). Weather was sunny, wonderful,
and, of course, the people were their usual warm, friendly
selves. The staff at the hotel is so helpful and willing
to assist in whatever way possible. (Us at Pompeii,
left)
Mamma and Antonella had wonderful NEW
menus for us. We did Mamma’s famous Eggplant Parmigiano and
many other favorites, including her delicious pear/ricotta
tart
(recipe in a previous newsletter). Sorry Deanna (May),
no more squid!
The wine and food pairing lunch in Amalfi
was as good as ever. And while in Amalfi we added in a
fantastic new CHOCOLATE DEMO with an artisan chocolatier. It
was a thoroughly delightful experience, a visual as well as
taste treat. We all walked out with wonderful edible
souvenirs.
On our
Pompeii day our guide, Gianni,
really distinguished himself at the pizza lunch by coining a
phrase that we will all remember: As we were bemoaning the
fact that we seemed to make a larger mess eating our pizza
than he did, he casually remarked that, indeed, we were all
hindered by the possession of “balconies” that provided a
natural catch point for dribbles! I’m sure we’re all still
telling that
story and laughing about it. (I know I am).
I’m not sure Gianni was prepared for the gales of laughter
that greeted his pronouncement. Such are the nuances of
language! (Gianni, photo left)
Once again the merchants were happy to see
us – there are a number of lovely ceramic pieces now on
display in various parts of the US. It’s always
interesting to see the differences in the ceramics produced
by each individual shop; styles vary so much more than one
can imagine.
Our day on Capri couldn’t have been
better; we even experienced our first ride in a Capri taxi –
unique to that area. Lunch overlooking the beautiful waters
was as wonderful as ever – we would have all been satisfied
with the amazing antipasto although I did notice that
everyone managed to consume their dessert!
I think our
farewell dinner at Mamma’s was
especially memorable because we had invited Antonella
(Mamma’s assistant) to join us. She was very touched that
we had thought to include her in our celebration and we’ve
all had emails from her since then. She is a lovely young
woman who really helps make our experience special.
(Jennifer's birthday at our farewell party)
But I think that’s what these trips are
all about – the special way in which our Italian friends
seek to help us enjoy our brief foray into their way of
life. We are all touched by their kindnesses and many
generous acts and certainly richer for the experience. Many
of us are sufficiently addicted to the experience that we
return again and again.
UMBRIA – Chocolate & Truffles & Olive Oil
October 16-23
Our hosts in Perugia certainly illustrate
what I mean when I say our Italian friends truly open
their
hearts to us. Mamma Leona and Papa Antonio combine their
formidable cooking skills to produce some incredible
mealtime experiences, ably assisted by Carla and Sauro (who
contributes wines from his extensive cellar).
Our new guide, Elena, was personable as
well as knowledgeable. She brought a genuine enthusiasm to
our experiences – most notably at our Chocolate Cooking
Class at Perugina. This was our first, but not our last
time there. It was quite remarkable – everyone went home
with a good supply of their own hand-made truffles.
(photo below)
Each tour always has something “special”
with which I remember it
- I think this is the tour known
for its interesting transportation experiences. First there
was Laura’s amazing Rome taxi story, then we had Elena and
the ignition key difficulty, and finally the ride to the
Rome airport with the “dude” driver. These are the shared
experiences that take place time after time.
Our artisan visits are always a highlight
and our new olive mill owner, Sr. Batta, (photo below,
left) was charming,
passionate and knowledgeable as he explained the process to
us. Tasting it on freshly toasted bread was a wonderful
treat. A few souvenir bottles made their way home.
Sr. Nulle, our Deruta ceramicist, was his
usual effervescent self, proudly showing us around his
showroom. And Signora Goretti’s wine tasting was as dynamic
as ever. Again, it’s so enjoyable to experience the passion
and pride that the Italians have in their products. Not
surprisingly, several bottles of Goretti vin santo followed
us home.
New for this trip was a day in Cortona
which is only 45 minutes from Perugia (even though it is in
Tuscany). We visited the street market and various shops –
making a real killing at the handbag store. These are
really the best prices for good purses I’ve found anywhere.
I was on a mission to take back 5 for people back home!
Had some really great meals – we thought
the new truffle restaurant in Gubbio was excellent. There’s
something really sinful about eating that many truffle
dishes at one sitting, but we overcame our hesitancy. I
think a favorite meal was at an elegant agritourismo; the
food was simply exquisite and the surroundings quite
wonderful.
One vivid memory is at a nearby trattoria
where the chef explained the menu, took our order and cooked
the meal! The surprising part of it all, was the size of
the dish of “special mushrooms” that arrived at our table –
it was HUGE!
I think wonderful sums up the whole week
in Perugia.
TUSCANY
October 23-30
It always feels like I’m home when I come
back to Tuscany – this is where I began and where I’ve been
the most. And where I have longest established friendships.
And the group – what a group they were -
Eleven women and one very good-natured man (who happened to
love purchasing shoes, so he fit right in!) Vincenzo, our
Chef, was pleased to have a group of mainly women. However,
he did notice that Barry was a major participant in food
prep. Barry later confided that he was chopping & prepping
so food would get done faster – he wasn’t quite used to
eating on Italian time. (photo, us in Siena)
We did so many great things it’s hard to
know where to start: Market in Florence, guided tour of the
Uffizi & the David, boutique winery & olive oil frantoio,
grappa production and tasting, country
markets, watercolor &
ceramic artists, and many, many fabulous dining experiences!And,
no trip is complete without a stop at the leather shop for a
few judicious purchases (or not so judicious as the case may
be).
Our visit to San Gimignano was very
productive – the shops there are quite wonderful and were
enriched by our presence. Susan came home with an exquisite
red shawl that her “shopping experts” told her she just HAD
to buy. Later, in Siena, we were greeted with the news that
Guide Paolo’s contrade had won the Palio that year. I
believe we got a bit more Palio history this time than
usual, but he was understandably proud.
Another highlight is always the cooking
class at Sr. Cappelli’s. Bea is a wonderful teacher, the
surroundings are unbelievable, and the food is always
amazing; featuring the Best Dessert in the World. After
the "best dessert in the world" there's always a flurry of
activity as everyone rushes to purchase Sr. Cappelli's
famous balsamico.
Of course our visit to Dario, the
world-famous butcher of Panzano, was an event that was also
extraordinary. How does one explain a butcher that plays
classical music, puts out a spread of elegant food and wine
(his own home-made), and delights just by his exuberance?
He is a national treasure, as is Sr. Cappelli.
(Dario, photo right)
After Dario’s, our lunch in a new
trattoria overlooking the marvelous Tuscan countryside
topped it off perfectly. Then we had some more artisan
visits for custom-made shoes, watercolors. We all agreed
the day had
been remarkable from start to finish
Market Day in Greve was an especially
profitable time – there were many VERY LARGE bags being
hauled around. I do think Diane won the award – and
followed the age old tradition of purchasing an extra bag to
take home. (Lunch at the market, photo left)
And, of course, no trip is complete
without a special celebration of some sort - so we managed
to surprise Pam with a fantastic Birthday Cake (photo,
right)
Our farewell dinner at the villa was the
perfect ending to a marvelous week.
THE TASTES & TRADITIONS OF - SICILY - absolutely fabulous
(November 2-9, 2005)
This was such a fabulous trip, I don’t
know where to begin raving.
This was the absolutely PERFECT
group for a first-time tour; adventuresome, enthusiastic,
knowledgeable – and GREAT FUN! Believe me, we had the best time ever and know that
we experienced things we’ll never be able to duplicate.
This trip surpassed even my expectations – and they were
pretty high. (photo left, us at one of many lovely
dinners)
Our driver/guide, Silvano (photo right)
and Angela, both native Sicilians, took care of us from
start to finish making sure everything wo
rked for us. From
our charming boutique hotel in Palermo, to the delightful
“farmhouse” in the countryside, to our hotel’s breathtaking
views in Taormina – our accommodations were simply
first-rate. Not sure we could pick a favorite.
We packed a LOT into our 8 days 7 nights,
but it’s necessary to even begin to get a feel for this
magical island. We were completely snowed by our welcoming
antipasti buffet at a historic palazzo with its gracious
Baroness as host.
On the western side we visited a marvelous
olive oil producer, Marsala winery, sea salt processor, as
well as the rich historic monuments of culturally rich
Palermo. (Did you know that the largest opera house in
Italy is in Palermo?) I think one of our favorite moments
was meeting the author of “Bitter Almonds” – Sicily’s most
famous marzipan artist sharing a cappuccino and pastries
while she worked her magic creating various marzipan fruits
and vegetables. J
ust sitting in the tiny kitchen, sharing
this moment was a treasure.
But that was really only the
beginning – it just got better and better. We left for
the countryside where so many new and wonderful experiences
awaited us, that I rapidly ran out of superlatives.
When we checked into our “farmhouse” we all decided we
didn’t want to leave – it was that perfect. However,
when we went to our little nearby village (Angela’s home
town), we were greeted by an official delegation that
included the Mayor, Vice-Mayor, Director of Tourism and the
Chief of Police. We were celebrities -at least for a
while. (above
photo, us and the town officials)
We had a typical peasant lunch that was
magnificent in its simplicity and met another lovely woman
who had written a cookbook about the area. We all bought
one, even though it’s in Italian – it was just a treasure.
Then we went back to our Farmhouse for a cooking class and
dinner. After which came the best part; a group of young girls from the town
performing native Sicilian dances. We all ended up
participating and decided that the dances were sufficiently
vigorous that it was good the girls were all young.
For m
e, this will always be remembered as
the BEST cheesemaking experience I ever had in Italy
in my 15 years of traveling there. They are still making
cheese in the same way they have been doing it for over one
hundred years – you just had to be there, as you,
hopefully, will. (cheese photo,left)
Then we headed to the eastern side,
stopping in Cefalu for a walking tour and waterfront lunch
in this picturesque resort community. Onto the ceramic
factory – where I didn’t think I’d ever pry everyone out!
And finally to our lovely seaview 
hotel in Taormina; it was then that
we knew we were in paradise.
When I think back on this trip, I’ll
always remember “plan B” is best. The two times we had to
make a change in our schedule, the alternative always turned
out to be
much better than the original plan! (Of course,
all plan B’s have now been incorporated into the permanent
schedule).
I know I get excited about new trips, but
you have to believe me when I tell you this is one you
definitely don’t want to miss! The people are warm,
friendly and welcoming. The scenery is breathtaking and
more varied than anywhere else. The food is fascinating.
This is an area not yet overrun with tourists (not us) – so
don’t wait, make plans now!
That's
about all
for now -
